Vietnamese Lunar New Year – All You Need to Know

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Lunar New Year, a sacred moment of transition, has long been the most important holiday for Vietnamese people. This is when families gather together, temporarily putting aside all worries and worries to celebrate a happy and prosperous new year. Tet brings with it the sweet taste of banh chung, banh tet, the color of peach blossoms, apricot blossoms and good wishes. The upcoming year 2025 marks the return of the Year of the Snake, promising a bustling Tet season and many exciting things. 

Vietnamese Lunar New Year 2025 Dates

The Lunar New Year 2025 is expected to last nine days, from January 25, 2025, to February 2, 2025. This precious time allows everyone to temporarily put aside work, gather with family, exchange good wishes, and enjoy the bustling festive atmosphere.

Understanding the Tet calendar is extremely important to welcome the new year at Ty 2025 in a complete and meaningful way. From there, we can plan each activity in detail, from shopping for necessary Tet items and decorating the house with bright spring colours to arranging schedules to visit and wish people New Year, relatives, and friends. Let’s explore unique customs, beautiful traditions, and tips together to prepare for a memorable Tet/ Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Vietnamese Lunar New Year Holiday Schedule 2025

To help you plan your trip, here’s a breakdown of the 2025 Tet holiday schedule:

New Year’s Day (January 1, 2025):

  • Date: Wednesday
  • Days Off: Employees and students will have one day off with full pay.

Lunar New Year (January 29, 2025):

  • Date: Wednesday
  • Days Off: The official number of days off varies depending on your role:
    • Students: At least 9 days off, but it may be longer depending on the school’s schedule.
    • Civil Servants: 5 days off (January 25-29) plus 4 weekly rest days.

Traditional Customs Of Vietnamese Lunar New Year

Clean and decorate the house

Cleaning the house before the new year is not simply to welcome spring in a clean, tidy space but also has a profound spiritual meaning, helping to chase away the old year’s bad luck, making you ready. Receive fortune and luck for the new year. This is the ideal time for us to “revamp” our home: rearrange furniture, remove unnecessary items, clean and sanitize every corner from ceiling to floor, Or repaint and repair peeling or damaged areas.

After your house is clean and beautiful, don’t forget to add spring colors with unique decoration ideas imbued with the atmosphere of Vietnamese Lunar New Year 2025. Red and yellow – symbolizing luck and prosperity – will be the colours. The main colour is dotted with paintings and couplets to wish Tet with images of snakes or the delicate word “Snake”. And, of course, the bright pink of northern peach blossoms or the bright yellow of southern apricot blossoms is indispensable.

Prepare a tray of five fruits and cakes for Tet

The five-fruit tray, with its vibrant colors and gentle fragrance, is an indispensable part of the traditional Tet holiday. It is meant to pray for a prosperous and fulfilling new year. Although arranging five-fruit trays differs between regions, they all contain good wishes for a happy and prosperous new year. 

In the North, the five-fruit tray often includes “banana, grapefruit, peach, persimmon, tangerine,” symbolizing the five blessings. In the South, people favor “custard-apple, coconut, papaya, mango, sung,” with the desire to “pray for enough to spend.”

Besides the five-fruit tray, banh chung or banh tet is an indispensable traditional beauty during Vietnamese Tet.

The image of the whole family gathering to wrap banh chung on New Year’s Eve has become a beautiful memory in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. However, if you don’t have time to wrap the cake, you can also buy delicious, quality banh chung from reputable establishments.

Shopping and Preparing Tet Gifts

To have a perfect Tet holiday in 2025 and not worry too much, making a list of items to buy early is extremely necessary. Take note of important things, from fresh food to make your Tet meal more hearty, meaningful gifts to give your love to relatives and friends, to new clothes to wear in the evening—the first spring of the new year.

Perform Traditional Rituals

Traditional Tet is an opportunity to reunite and gather with family and a time for us to perform essential rituals imbued with the beauty of the nation’s spiritual culture. First, it is impossible not to mention the worshipping ceremony for Mr Cong and Mr Tao on December 23, sending the gods back to heaven to report on household chores. At the sacred moment between the Old and New Year, the New Year’s Eve worship ceremony is performed sincerely, praying for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

The custom of breaking into the ground at the beginning of the year with the hope that the best things will come to the family in the new year is also a traditional beauty preserved to this day. Don’t forget to prepare red envelopes to celebrate children and the elderly, wishing them a lucky and prosperous new year.

Plan activities For the Tet Holidays

The 2025 Tet holiday is approaching, so plan meaningful activities to enjoy this particular time fully. Besides visiting relatives and friends and sending good wishes at the beginning of the year, you can see temples to pray for peace and luck. Joining your family in unique traditional festivals is also a great way to feel the bustling Tet atmosphere. And if possible, a short trip will allow the whole family to relax together and create memorable memories.

Prepare carefully and follow traditional customs to celebrate a complete, meaningful, and joy-filled Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Tet is an opportunity to rest and a precious moment to bond, share love, and send gratitude to those around you.

Travel Ideas for the Vietnamese Lunar Year Holiday with Friends and Family

Lunar New Year 2025 is approaching! Do you have any plans for this memorable holiday? If you are still wondering, let us suggest to you attractive destinations that offer unique experiences and are suitable for the traditional Vietnamese Tet atmosphere.

Immerse in the Traditional Tet Atmosphere in Hanoi.

The capital of thousands of years of civilization wears ancient and elegant beauty, bringing a special traditional Tet atmosphere. You can walk around the old town, admire the colourful flower stalls, ask for a master’s letter at the Temple of Literature, and enjoy typical Tet dishes such as banh chung and banh tet. Don’t forget to visit sacred temples like Quan Su Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda to pray for a peaceful and lucky new year.

Conquer the Majestic Fansipan Peak in Sapa

Sapa is an ideal destination for those who love majestic nature and want to experience the typical cold of the North. You can conquer Fansipan Peak, explore colourful ethnic villages such as Cat Cat and Ta Phin, participate in the Sapa market, and enjoy specialities such as thang co and armpit pig.

Soak the Sparkling Beauty of Hoi An

Hoi An’s ancient town shimmers with colourful lanterns, bringing a traditional Tet atmosphere rich in national identity. You can walk around the old town, visit Cau Pagoda and Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, release flower lanterns on the Hoai River, and enjoy specialities such as Cao Lau and Quang noodles.

For more ideas, check out Tet Holidays 2025 Travel Ideas

During the Lunar New Year, domestic tourism demand increases, leading to a rise in bus travel demand. Instead of jostling in line to buy tickets and worrying about running out of seats, let redBus accompany you every step. With a friendly interface, easy operation, and secure payment system, redBus helps you book bus tickets online quickly and conveniently, saving time and effort.

Don’t hesitate any longer; quickly book your bus tickets on redBus and prepare for a Tet journey full of joy and memorable moments with family and friends!